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In October 1950, John Courtney Murray, S.J., wrote for the use of Msgr. Giovanni Battista Montini of the Vatican Secretariat of State a memorandum: "The crisis in Church-State Relationships in the U.S.A." An attempt by Murray to encourage a development of Catholic teaching on church and state and religious freedom that would enable American Catholics to give support in principle to the First Amendment of the U.S Constitution, the memorandum was submitted to some American churchmen and to the Vatican's Holy Office. The dossier here published for the first time includes the texts of Murray's memorandum and of responses to it written by Samule Cardinal Stritch and Fr. Francis J. Cornell, C.SS.R. The introduction to these texts sets the memorandum in context and explains the Holy Office's actions against Murray.

IN OCTOBER 1950, JOHN COURTNEY MURRAY, S.J., WROTE A MEMORANDUM ENTITLED "THE CRISIS IN CHURCH-STATE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE USA," AN ATTEMPT TO ENCOURAGE A CATHOLIC INTERPRETATION OF CHURCH AND STATE AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THAT WOULD ENABLE AMERICAN CATHOLICS TO SUPPORT IN PRINCIPLE THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. MURRAY'S MEMORANDUM WAS SUBMITTED TO THE VATICAN'S HOLY OFFICE AND TO SOME AMERICAN CHURCHMEN. THIS ARTICLE PLACES THE MEMORANDUM IN CONTEXT AND EXPLAINS THE HOLY OFFICE'S RESPONSE.